3 subtle ways to increase your daily productivity

Daily productivity can sometimes feel so elusive. We all the many goals we would like to achieve each day. We easily make our to-do lists and set reminders then distractions get in the way. By the end of the day, we’re left feeling like we could have achieved more, and wishing that there were more than 24 hours in a day.

I’ve faced the same challenge. But with a few adjustments to my daily routine, I have been able to cope better. Here are three subtle changes that really help with increasing your daily productivity when you add them to your routine.

Choose your outfits the day before

If you’re going to work or attending a meeting tomorrow, you need to select everything you’re going to wear today. When I say everything, I mean everything. From your underwear to the mascara you’ll be using, to the shoes that will match your outfit and the jewelry you’ll wear. I have been a victim of casually deciding on outfits to wear…only to discover in the morning that the outfit needed a camisole, and then discovering that I could find said camisole. Everything got frantic from then on. I sent clothes flying in the air while muttering prayers and curses concurrently.

Do you know how much time you would save each morning by just planning ahead? If you’re able to do this effectively, you would have some time left over to jot down your thoughts or create a to-do list for the day. Trust me, you would start the day all calm, composed and dignified. This will be a huge boost to your daily productivity.

The woman rushing around in search of a missing earring while hopping on one foot as she tries to locate a second shoe only looks cute in romantic comedies. In real life, it’s just a mess and brings about unnecessary stress which you do not need.

Journaling for side-hustle success

You know that spare time you have at work to complain about Nigeria, your boss or whose turn it is to buy the office provisions? Or those times you waste daydreaming about a much needed exotic vacation (when you’ve actually exhausted your vacation days)? What about those other times you wished you had more time during the day to take note of your creative ideas?

It’s time to start using your spare time wisely. Get creative and write in a journal.

As a writer with a 9-5 job, I carry a journal with me everywhere. In it I write down random thoughts which eventually become poems, stories or essays. But journals aren’t only for writers. Everyone can benefit from a journal. It’s a place where you jot down the random ideas you have throughout the day, and which you can review when you have some down time. You’ll be surprised at the end of the day how many ideas you’ve come up with. Journaling also reveals things about your psyche. What you write down randomly could reflect your state of mind and highlight areas in your life which you might need to improve on. This will take you one step closer to achieving your desired goals.

If carrying a journal can’t fit into your designer bag, use your phone to capture your thoughts. Do whatever is convenient for you, just make sure your thoughts don’t fade away.

You are what you read: The social media feed conundrum

This, for me, is one of the most important things towards subtly increasing your daily productivity. So, you complain about not getting enough information about your areas of interest. Yet your social media feeds are only for entertainment, gossip and videos of cats playing pianos. Can you see the problem here?

Social media is a very useful tool for absorbing information in our digital age. Whether we like it or not, we need to consciously moderate our feeds to reflect our interests and aspirations. Let’s face it, I enjoy a good meme. Who doesn’t?! I spent hours on the internet last year laughing out loud to funny pictures inspired by Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video. However when I began to write, I started to follow blogs and forums which reflected my interests. I signed up to Reader’s digest, Writer’s digest, Grammarly, The Sparkle Writer’s Hub, The Reading Room, Writing Tips and of course, She Leads Africa for daily inspiration and motivation.

Think about the amount of time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media daily. Is it a normal part of your day to idly scroll through your feed? You should try to make this activity as intellectually stimulating as you can.

If you can’t let go of your social media pastimes, consider multitasking to increase your daily productivity. If, for instance, say you usually spend your lunch break playing Candy Crush on your phone whilst eating. You could use that time to browse the internet for topics related to your areas of interest instead.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s definitely a starting point to increasing your productivity as a #MotherlandMogul!

Ivie writes poems, essays and short stories on her blog. She is also the author of the ebook, 'Looking for myself and my phone charger', which is available on Okada Books.
She studied Political Science at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and believes that with deliberate efforts, Nigerians can work to make ours a functioning society.